Bonsai! It’s Another Awesome Flower Show At Phipps!

We had initially planned on spreading out our two trips to various Phipps Conservatory Flower Shows a little more evenly through the year, but in February, something came up that was too interesting to skip: the Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show!

Outside, the greenery was nowhere to be seen. But inside…

It was like a totally different world. So please, follow us through the conservatory on our pictorial tour!

The thing that interests me most about a bonsai is that you can see each choice its grower made in determining its form.

There’s an artistry to it that’s showier than other kinds of floral design.

Not to mention the fact that the artists who cultivate bonsai are called Bonsai Masters. How cool is that?

We also got to see a wide variety of gorgeous and colorful orchids on display, in the Frank Sarris Orchid Room.

There, a nice placard for you to read.

The variety of shades and the subtle differences in the petals were pretty interesting.

You had your striped patterns…

Your spotted patterns…

Pure whites…

Vibrant pinks…

These nifty ones called “Saturday Nights”…

Whatsits…

(Can you tell I know diddly-squat about horticulture? It doesn’t really matter, though — walking through it all was still a transcendent experience.)

Later, we saw some more bonsai. This one had grown at what seemed like an impossible angle…

Until we saw the angle at which this one had grown.

This arrangement offered a variety of colorful orchids.

Purple!

I especially enjoyed the way some of the orchids had been arranged like vines along bamboo poles.

One of my favorite aspects of these specialized shows is that they breathe new life into rooms you might have seen many times before.

Like so!

We had a terrific time visiting the Bonsai and Orchid show, and we highly suggest you catch it the next time it comes around. In the meantime, check out Phipps’s schedule for upcoming flower shows and give one a chance! You won’t regret it.